Apple has responded strongly to the US government’s antitrust lawsuit, which accuses the company of monopolizing the smartphone market, Bloomberg is reporting.
In a recent court filing, Apple urged a federal judge to dismiss the case, arguing that the lawsuit’s claims are unfounded and detached from reality. The company firmly denied allegations of monopolistic behavior, asserting that it is not obliged to grant software developers greater access to iPhones than what is currently provided.
Apple contends that it sets its own platform’s access terms and technologies without impeding third parties from interacting with rival smartphone makers. The company argues that these practices do not violate US antitrust laws.
Apple emphasized the intense competition it faces from other global smartphone manufacturers, notably Google and Samsung. “Apple faces robust competition from other smartphone manufacturers around the world, including Google and Samsung,” the company’s lawyers stated in federal court in Newark, New Jersey.
A critical aspect of any antitrust case is demonstrating harm to consumers, which Apple argues the complaint fails to do. The company dismissed the notion that its policies have deterred customers from switching to competitors like Google or Samsung.
According to the filing, it is “implausible to claim, as the government does, that Apple has deterred any customers from switching to Google or Samsung because of its policies with respect to ‘super apps,’ cloud gaming, smartwatches, or anything else.”
In March, the US Justice Department, along with a group of state attorneys general, filed a lawsuit against Apple. The suit alleges that Apple has hindered competitors’ access to hardware and software features on its devices, thus stifling innovations that could have facilitated easier phone switching for consumers.
Specific allegations include Apple’s refusal to support cross-platform messaging apps, its limitations on third-party digital wallets and non-Apple smartwatches, and its blocking of mobile cloud streaming services.
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Unless this involves the App Store itself, Apple has a strong case